Up in MN

Well, here I sit at Perkins restaurant, as the net at the hotel where I'm staying SUCKS bigtime. I can connect to their router just fine, just not after that. I can connect just fine here, so I'll sit here & drink coffee & eat breakfast. I forgot Perkins had eggs benedict, I will try that tomorrow :P I haven't had that in YEARS. Heh. Growing up, there was a Perkins in Wayzata, and we'd always refer to it as 'pukins'. But they have always had good food.

Here is a bit from my flight up here:

Well, so far traveling has been interesting. While at the airport, Sumdood sat next to me. WHY? There were plenty of areas that had more seats vacant, and he plops down right next to me. Do I have the nut magnet? Was "sit next to me" stamped on my forehead? The vegetable spring rolls I had for breakfast were tasty, but greasy. And expensive. But the fried rice was like $5, so 2 small rolls for $2.49 wasn't so bad. The Diet Coke was about the same price, but necessary. Like Dr Grumpy, it's a necessity of life. Right up there with air and food and stuff.

Well I just figured out why my flight to MN is 5 hours. Because we head from Houston to Birmingham, AL, then over to St. Louis MO, and *finally* up to Minneapolis. Actually, I'm hoping the very front row ends up empty, and i can snag one of those seats. Lots more leg room. Its not bad, but I swear these seats are getting smaller...Flying on a 747, at least the darn engine noise is not bad now at altitude than when it was when we were climbing. At least I'll get 3 servings of peanuts *grin* rather than just 1.

Sumdood is nefarious, by the way. Usually he is not seen, as you can google 'sumdood' and find out about his previous doings at ambulance driver, and lawdog files. He's usually involved in fights, beating someone up, and slipping away unknown.

The weather up here is great. I ran 'fan only' in the room last night, and had to get up and turn it off, because it was COLD. at 10 pm last night, it was 73 degrees.. This rocks!

Headed out to the lake area where I grew up, going to drive around the old neighborhood, to see how much it's changed again. When I was here in 2000, most of the homes that were there before are torn down, and huge homes built in their place. I remember mom telling me that they paid 50k for the place in 1962, and when they sold, an architect bought it, tore down what they had built, and put a huge house there.

I went to the Mall of America yesterday afternoon, and met a friend I had not seen in 30 years there. It was great fun as we caught up on what we had been doing. It seems like many of the people I went to school with still live in the area, Minneapolis, or surrounding, and it just seems *strange* to me, living where you grew up. I haven't lived in MN since late 1980, and have lived in 9? states since then, for the longest time in Texas.

Headed to Lord Fletchers this afternoon. They have a walleye dinner there. I haven't had walleye since I left MN! Seriously thinking about getting that. It seems they have changed the interior too, I am seriously disappointed about that.

There is a Mill Museum up here, the old Gold Medal factory - the largest flour mill that there used to be. Thinking about going there today before Fletchers. Have a good one!